Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Training for the Snowdonia Marathon

Living in London means that training for the Snowdonia Marathon requires a certain ingenuity to acclimatise for the hills of North Wales. Running hills barefoot is great - the extra control you get is so useful on those downhill sections.
There are few decent hills to run on here in the big smoke. Indeed, much of my running is done by water, a mini-countryside in the city and a generally pleasant, traffic free place to run.

A few weeks ago, I had a go at running up and down Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath, which is nowhere near Parliament, but is at least a hill.
And, nearer to home, there is Springfield Park, near Stamford Hill, although not as high as the former hill.

Finally, I have also tried a new technique of cross training called "allotment intervals" which means saving all my heavy work on the allotment for my days off running. I can do much digging and anything else physical that is required for this patch of land I am cultivating. Allotments are the best kept secret in the world of exercise. Now, why would I go to the gym when I can do this?

1 comment:

decsim said...

yes Yanni..just discovered your blog...likewise with your gym comment...I find you can incorporate exercise into your daily life. This girl I know actually does a form of exercise at the gym called spinning which in effect is just stationary cycling in the gym and she lives in cambridge. You think what!...surely its better to cycle in the out doors and she could even cycle to and from the gym..but drives there!..insane...but what ever floats your boat I guess!

I find its very good exercise to cycle everywhere thereby incorporating exercise into your daily life

On a good week will cycle 150 miles..so not to bad..and it serves a purpose not just aimless exercising

You know I'm sure there would be a market for a bike attachment..ie a dynamo that feeds into a battery or indeed the national grid...I think I've heard that in some gyms they installing equipment for this purpose and I've even heard of a nightclub whereby the dance floor energy is converted and linked into the lighting system

I think over the next coming years personal energy generation..for the home etc will become more popular...I think a company is building small scale generators..based on the hydrogen cell and in one case nuclear!..thereby eliminating the need for the national grid and all the power losses associated with it...


Neways I detract...its interesting reading your experiences with barefoot running and I think in the summer I will give it ago...as the science behind it is sound and I to also noticed that I'm a heel runner and last year my tendons became inflammed and very painful..whether this was a result of my running stance I'm not sure..but I figure its maybe worth a go giving natural design ago

Neways we shall see

Good luck